Filing device



w. I. CUBBERLEY Jan. 14, 1930.

FILING DEVICE Filed Aug. 9, 1939 Patented Jan. '14, 1930 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE FILING DEVICE Application filed August 9, 1928. Serial No. 384,559. 7

My present invention has reference to improvements in removable and detachable means whereby a footing affording a positively acting and interlocking engagement with adjustable Vertical file supports may be utilized with a metal filing cabinet or the like. More particularly it is my purpose to provide a detachable footing of this character which may be positioned in a channel or delo pression in the bottom of a file cabinet to interengage with adjustable supporting members having substantially vertical and substantially horizontal portions to properly support vertical files. Furthermore it :is my special purpose to provide means whereby files may be removed in a body, or as units comprising several files, by simply lifting out an adjustable member with the files thereon; and it is also one of the principal objects of my invention to provide means, including a desk or table support, similar in construction to the bottom of a file cabinet constructed according to my invention, whereby when a unit of files is removedfrom a file drawer said unit, 2 or units, may be positioned on said means or desk support, so that the unit of files may be worked over without tearing them apart, losing the sequence of the files, getting them out of order or the like. To this end I provide an accessory in conjunction withmy present invention'which may be transported about to receive the files, units of files, and the like, and the adjustable members on which they are contained when they are removed from a file drawer. Everyone is aware that more cut hands, soiled cufis and other parts of the clothing, and torn clothing, also broken finger nails and the like, are caused by removing and replacing files in a file cabinet drawer than probably any other ofiice operation.

' My present invention is, in part, divisional of my co-pending application Serial-#36&,- 524, filed May 20th, 1929,'and allowed July 25th, 1929. I

Briefly defined, some of the principal advantages of my present invention are as follows :First, I provide a simple corrugated length of sheet metal which may be manufactured and sold at small cost, and which may be fitted into a channeled or depressed area in the bottom of a file cabinet drawer. Certain file cabinet drawers now widely sold on the market have a central channel or depression in which this element of my invention may be placed; second, I provide a simple and efiective adjustable file supporting device having a substantially vertical part for supporting files in a substantially vertical position, and a substantially horizontal part which iscorrugated to interengage with the length of corrugated sheet metal placed in the channel so that each adjustable member may be properly held in adjusted position in a drawer; third, to move the adjustable members in different positions in a file drawer it is merely necessary to exert relatively slight pressure thereon with the hand (or by pressing on the files) so that the corrugations of the horizontal portion will click by and over those of the corrugated sheet in the channel into the new position; fourth, I provide means in the form of my adjustable members whereby the vertical portion or portions may be grasped by the hand and an entire unit of files lifted out of the drawer with facility; fifth, I provide means whereby adjustable members carrying a unit of several files may be properly supported on a suitable base which is portable to be arranged on a desk or table or the like, and sixth, both my portable desk support and the adjustable members are each formed of a single sheet metal stamping of small cost and easily manufactured.

Other and equally important objects and advantages ofmy invention will be apparent as the description proceeds, but it is pointed out that interpretation 7 of the invention should onlybe conclusive when made in the light ofthe subjoine d claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 isa perspective view, broken away, of a file drawer showing myjimprovement,

Figure 2 is a perspective view, broken away of a file drawer of the type having rods running along the bottom, and shows my improvement, v

Figure 3 is a perspective view of my corrugated removable sheet metal footing per se, Figure 4, views 1 and 11 show forms of my angular adj ustable members, and in this connection attention is called to my co-pending application Serial #364,524.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the base used to support my adjustable. members out of a file drawer so that units of filesnlay be pro erly arranged on a desk or table and wor ed,

Figure 6 is a transverse section through the base shown in Figure 5, p

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section through a file drawer in which my device is placed and shows the easy manner in which a unit of several files may be removed with the hands by simply lifting out an adjustable" member on which the files aresupported, and

Figure 8 shows a pair of adjustable mem- I hers reversed with their corrugated horizontal portionsinterengaging to facilitate handling a unit of files.

In the drawings wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like or similar parts throughout the several views A file drawer for a file cabinet has sides (1) and a bottom (2) ,the same being preferably formed of sheet metal with the edges joined as at (3) and forming tracks or the like on 1 which the file drawer is supported on the antifrom end to end thereof. In the depression friction devices of 'afile cabinet. The bottom of the drawer is formed with a central depression or channel (4) which extends or channel (4) isdisposed a length of corrugated, ribbed, u struck or otherwise irregularly constructe length of sheet material. This so-called footing member, designated 5) is readily removable and is simply laid in t e bottom of the channel and held in place by the walls thereof. Placed in the file drawer are a plurality of members each hava vertical ortion anda horizontal portion (7); t e horizontal portions being corrugated, ribbed or the like (8) to correspond with the corrugations, ribs or thelike on the footing member (5) so that when the adjustable members are placed in the drawer with the horizontal portions in the channel.

(4) the corrugations'of the horizontal portionsand'those of the footing member will interengage to hold the adjustable members in adjustable position by their own weight or by the additional weight of files placed thereon. When it is desired to change the positi'onsof said adjustable members they are simply pushed along with the hands or by pressing on the files tocause the respective corrugations to slip over the corrugations of thefooting member; with a clicking action to the new position. The adjustable members preferably have lateral extensions (9') and may be formed with rearwardly extending 1 additional supporti ears (10); If rods are used to support tab ed s acer or alphabet sheets (not shown) the a justablelmembers are provided with openings throu h which the rod or rods are trained, and t ese elm order.

serve to lock the members in place if that is desired. The openings are designated (11).

In operation the footing member (5) is simply'placed or laidin the channel (4) in the bottom of a. file drawer and the adjustable members positioned thereon, whereupon the files are, placed in the drawer and are supported in proper vertical position by the vertical portions (6); the horizontal portions extending below or under the bottom edges of the files.

-- When it is desired to remove a unit of several files (as shown in Figure 7) one of the adjustable members is grasped at the Vertical part (6) by one hand an and lifted'out with the files supported thereon, the'other hand y being placed on the side of the files. A compact arrangement is shown in Figure 8 wherein the horizontal portions oftwo adg justable members'have their corrugations interengaged to support the files between the vertical portions after the manner described and shown in my co-pending application above referred to. i

Since when files are removed from a file drawer they tend to become scattered over moved from a file drawer with the files thereon in the manner previously described, they are simply positioned on thebase where they are ready to be worked, will be properly supported in a vertical position, will not become torn or deranged, and will not get of This form'of my invention, if des red may be used as a desk distributin set or accessory; that is the base and severa ad ,justable members may be made up and sold as a unit without respect to the dual use as an accessory for use with the adjustable members when they are removed from a fiie drawerj From the foregoing it is believed that the operation and construction of my'invention will be apparent, but emphasis is again laid upon the fact that interpretation thereof should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims. l 1

I claim of supports each having a top surface, and

in the channeled portion of any of the sup a similarly formed channel therein, a remov- I able corrugated member adapted to be placed i n5 1. In an ofice equipment device, a plurality ports, and a plurality of similarly formed adjustable members, each having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, and fitting any of the supports, the horizontal portions being corrugated to interengage with certain of the corrugations of the removable corrugated member to retain said adjustable members in adjusted position on any of the supports.

2. In an office equipment device, the combination with a plurality of supports each having a similarly formed supporting upper surface provided with a channeled area; a removable corrugated member adapted to be placed in any of the channeled areas and to be held in place against sliding by the walls thereof, and a plurality of similarly formed adjustable members each having a substantially vertical portion and a horizontal portion, and fitting the supporting surface of any support with the horizontal portions extending into and aligned in and by the channeled areas, said horizontal portions having corrugations similar to those of the removable corrugated member for interengagement to hold said adjustable members in adjusted position on any support.

3. In a filing device having a channeled file supporting surface, a removable strip fitting into the channeled area and formed with a series of protuberances, and adjustable file-supporting members having substantially vertical and substantially horizontal portions, the horizontal portions provided with protuberances interengaging with the protuberances of the removable strip to hold said members in adjusted positions on the filesupporting surface.

4. The combination with the drawer of a file cabinet having a depressed channeled portion in the bottom thereof between the sides and extending from end to end thereof, of a removable strip fitting into the channeled portion and having a series of corrugations formed therein, and a plurality of file supporting devices each having a vertical and a horizontal portion, and the horizontal portions having similar corrugations interengaging with those of the removable strip to hold said adjustable file supporting members in adjusted positions.

5. The combination with the drawer of a file cabinet having a depressed channeled portion midway its sides and extending from end to end thereof, of a removable strip fitting into the channeled portion and having a series of corrugations therein extending fromone end of the strip to the other, and a plu rality of bodily removable file supporting devices in the drawer and each having a substantially vertical portion and a horizontal portion, the horizontal portions fitting in the channeled portion and having corrugations interengaging with certain of the corrugahereunto.

WARNER I. OUBBERLEY. 

